It's Lent, Afterall...

It seems that in this Lent, no sleeping dogs lie, no pot goes unstirred, no status quo is over-turned, no temptation withdrawn, no church unaffected, no matters left to peace, no accusation left unsaid, no defense left open, no scandal un-blogged.

It's more repenting I need. Kyrie Eleison!

Aphorism

It is much easier to create work than enact real change. It is much easier to create committees, task forces, boards, programs, outreaches, "ministries," visions, missions and ad campaigns that it is to solve the underlying problems.

Now Here's a Saying from a True Weird-o

“Sometimes paranoia's just having all the facts.” (William S. Burroughs)

Preaching Tip

On Sunday the One-Year lectionary has us proclaim, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel..." (Matt. 24:15)

Please note, Jesus did not say "the Obama-nation of desolation."

On Skipping Church

If you want to hob-nob or rub elbows or network, join the Lions or Rotary or something. You can even tell off-color jokes and not get the evil eye. The only problem is the other people don't have to pretend to like you like they do at church.

Another Aphorism

For the true Christian Church, one needs to forget every modern incarnation of groups calling themselves "Lutheran" or "Synod" or "Church" and weigh the claims of the Confessors against the Confessions themselves, against the Christian West and Christian East, and against history.

Aphorisms on Lutheranism

I really do think that the adiaphora issue, when paired together with solas is the Achilles' heel of Lutheranism.

Lutherans have no legislative power and it is our undoing.

In this interpretation of the Confessions, Lutheranism is almost Quakerism in allowing freedom of conscience.

We should always distinguish three things: 1) What the Confessors wrote; 2) What the situation actually was among the Lutherans at the time; 3) What our interpretation is now, as colored by our sitz-im-leben (place in life/history).

For true Lutheranism, one needs to forget every modern incarnation of groups calling themselves "Lutheran" or "Synod" or "Church" and weigh the claims of the Confessors against themselves, against the Christian West and Christian East, and against history.

Each Lutheran Confession is "a" confession of what some "believed, taught, and practiced." Insofar as people calling themselves Lutheran today, we do not practice as much, teach as clearly or, believe as strongly.